The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1887-06-15

ment at low rate of interest. They
have giant establishments, flied with
the most improved labor saving machin-
cry and run on scale whore expenses
are reduced to minimum. They are
located in dense population who sup
| ply local demand for their products.
They are located near the great CONNER
clnl cmporiumS and can place their sur
plus products on the market mt tho least
possible expense, and they have very
favorable freight rates. These aivant-
ages epablo the great factories of the
North to manufacture goods cheaper
than our infant factories can possibly do
SO great are these advantages that
even John Stuart Mill, the great apostle
of free trade, admits that some govern
mental protection is necessary to tho es-
tablishment of factories when they have
to compete with country whose facto-
ries have an established business and
whose processes of work have become
traditional. Tho infant factories OF the
North required and secured heavy
protection against the established fncto-
rics of England. To-day they bear to
us the same relation which the old Eng
lish factories borc to them q century
ago. Our factories cannot hope for the
protection which would build thtm up.
Both the free trade sentiment Of our
people and the Constitution OF the
United States prohibit any import duty
against Northern goods.
But surely it is not demanding too
much to ask the protection which nature
gives us-tho protection of distance?
Surely it is not asking too much to de-
mand that the products from factories
shall be distributed throughout our own
State as chcaply as the products of for
clgn competitors? Surely it is not re.
quiring too much to demand that the
railroads, built frequently at the expense
of the people, for the development Of
the State, shall not use their power of
unfair discrimination tc, crush and ruin
the struggling industries of the State,
and drain her wealth into the Golfers of
foreign rivals?
DEPRESSING THE FARMERS.
The effect Of this policy is hardly less
hurtiul to tho farmers. Exceedingly low
through rates have induced the neglect
of all other crops, and the almost cXclu-
slve culture of cotton. This brings in
its train extravaganza and debt, and in
the end dishonesty When the people
raised their own supplies they had less
money, but they needed less They bad
enough to purchase the comforts OF life,
which they did not produce, and to pay
their honest debts. Now, when the
people raise cotton only, they make
moro money; their pockets are full if
their barns arc empty. Tho money all
comes IN at one season. They arc rich
then, ii poor all the balance OF tho year.
Whilo they have the money they squan-
der it needle sly, and before the wear ex-
pires are compelled to go i'll debt for the
necessities of life. And so tho next
year crop must go to pay for last years
living, and y system OF debt has been
saddcd on the country which has
brought it to the verge of bankruptcy.
Who can iorcsec the result of ono moro
crop failure?
OUR INTERNAL COMMERCE.
The internal commerce of the State
has been ruined, and the growth Of our
rising cities has been checked 10y this
same ruinous policy. The prosperity of
cities hangs on the will Of the railroad
autocrnts. They can cause business to
flow into it, on to go elsewhere. They
focused advantages mt country cross.
road i'll Georgia and Atlanta sprang up
teeming with enterprise and wealth. a
Withdrawal OF these advantages would
dlssipatc her business, and her prosperi-
ty would be dream Of tho past Ten
years ago it was the policy Of the rail
roads to build up tho internal commerce
OF this State. Fayoring through rates
were given to railroad centres and cheap
distributing rates. In q single decade
Spartanburg doubled her business and
tripled her population; wholesale houses
were established and supplied tho local
| trade for miles around. Her goods Hcre
sold within twenty miles OF Atlanta.
Within the past seven years this en-
| cour cement to wholesale internal COM
merce has been withdrawn and the bust
ness has persisted. Concessions have
been made to no distributing points cx-
cept Charleston and Columbia, where
proximity to water compelled it. But
even these have been deprived of what is
more important--their cheap distribut-
ing rates.
TILE WHOLESALE TRADE OF THE INTERIOR.
again take Spartanburg as type of
her sister cities. In 1881 the rate on
fertilizers from Spartanburg to Wexford,
on the Atlanta and Charlotte Air Line,
or to Pacolet, on the Spartanburg and
| Union Road, was $3.50 carload; now
1T is $l75O, an Increase OF nearly 200
per cent. The local trade has been dc
stroyed.
In 1881 the freight on flour to Pacolet
was l6 cents barrel, now it is 81 cents;
on bacon it was $50 q carload, now it is
$3G. So eXorbitant is this local freight
that the people have been compelled to
resort to wagon transportation. The
lowest freight on tho Augusta and Spar
tanbur8 Road to Campobollo, eighteen
miles above Spartanburg, is 50 ton;
first-c class freight is 81 ton. Wagons
will haul it, without regard to class, for
SO per ton free of drayage, and are
monopolizing the mercantile business.
Until recently the rate on cotton from
Campobello was 20 cents bale, whilo
the wagons were eager to carry it at 80
cents bale.
Grcenviile and the other cities of
Upper Carolina are in a like condition.
! In the seventh report of the South
Carolina railroad commission is publish
ed correspondence between President
| HaskclI nf tho EnInmbia and Groanyilla